Additional Details On Tessa Blanchard-MLW Situation
Of all the curious wrestling stories of 2026, the saga of Tessa Blanchard, CMLL, and MLW is one that no one can figure out, beyond that Blanchard was set to appear in MLW, only to be pulled from the show after CMLL clarified that Blanchard wasn't signed there, but only set to work one date. Information regarding the controversy has been slow to come by, including for Dave Meltzer. Nevertheless, Meltzer provided details on what he knew during the latest "Wrestling Observer Radio" about what the plans for Blanchard in MLW were, and what might have caused the issues that kept her from the show.
"In the match she was supposed to be in, which was her vs. Shotzi Blackheart for the MLW Women's Featherweight Title...Masha Slamovich, who was coming in anyway, she won the championship," Meltzer said. "And I'm pretty sure, pretty darn sure, that Tessa Blanchard was going to win that championship, either on that show or very soon after. I was told that the championship...I had thought, and a lot of people have written this and a lot of people thought that the championship was the issue.
"I'm not sure exactly why...the deal is that CMLL only approved her for one date, and you know, I guess that the idea is if they're giving her the championship, it kind of puts the pressure on CMLL to book her for more dates, right? But I was told that the championship is not the hold up. I don't know what the hold up is, but obviously, I don't think that there's any movement right now of her going to MLW."
Meltzer would reiterate that Slamovich was always planned to be brought into MLW, and that the only thing Blanchard's absence changed was Slamovich winning the Featherweight Title instead. Like Blanchard, Slamovich is a polarizing figure in the wrestling business, having worked limitedly since being accused of domestic violence in 2025, which she later apologized for.
If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Wrestling Observer Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription